Kinsey and Me: Stories

In 1982, Sue Grafton introduced us to Kinsey Millhone. Thirty years later, Kinsey is an established international icon and Sue, a number-one best-selling author. To mark this anniversary year, Sue has given us stories that reveal Kinsey’s origins and Sue’s past. Kinsey and Me has two parts: The nine Kinsey stories (1986-93), each a gem of detection; and the And Me stories, written in the decade after Grafton's mother died. Together, they show just how much of Kinsey is a distillation of her creator’s past.

Naked in Death: In Death, Book 1

Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer. In over 10 years on the force, she's seen it all - and knows that her survival depends on her instincts. And she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire - and suspect in Eve's murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it's up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about - except the addictive hunger of needing his touch.

One for the Money: A Stephanie Plum Novel, Book 1

You’ve lost your job as a department store lingerie buyer, your car’s been repossessed, and most of your furniture and small appliances have been sold off to pay last month’s rent. Now the rent is due again. And you live in New Jersey. What do you do? If you’re Stephanie Plum, you become a bounty hunter. But not just a nickel-and-dime bounty hunter; you go after the big money. That means a cop gone bad. And not just any cop. She goes after Joe Morelli, a disgraced former vice cop who is also the man that took her virginity....

1st to Die: The Women's Murder Club

There's a killer on the loose in San Francisco, and he's stalking newlyweds. When the usual procedures to stop him don't work, four women, each holding a piece of the puzzle, form a Women's Murder Club to collaborate outside the box and pursue the case. 1st to Die is the start of a new series of crime thrillers from James Patterson.

The Late Show

Renée Ballard works the night shift in Hollywood, beginning many investigations but finishing none, as each morning she turns her cases over to day shift detectives. A once up-and-coming detective, she's been given this beat as punishment after filing a sexual harassment complaint against a supervisor. But one night she catches two cases she doesn't want to part with: the brutal beating of a prostitute left for dead in a parking lot and the killing of a young woman in a nightclub shooting. Ballard is determined not to give up at dawn.

A Cold Day for Murder: A Kate Shugak Mystery

Eighteen months ago, Aleut Kate Shugak quit her job investigating sex crimes for the Anchorage DA’s office and retreated to her father’s homestead in a national park in the interior of Alaska. But the world has a way of beating a path to her door, however remote. In the middle of one of the bitterest Decembers in recent memory ex-boss — and ex-lover — Jack Morgan shows up with an FBI agent in tow.

Accused: Rosato & DiNunzio, Book 1

New York Times best-selling and Edgar Award-winning author Lisa Scottoline revolutionized crime fiction when she introduced her all-female law firm of Rosato & Associates, thrilling listeners with her twisty, fast-paced plots and capturing their hearts with her cast of strong and relatable female characters. Now Bennie Rosato, Mary DiNunzio, Judy Carrier, and Anne Murphy are back with all cylinders firing in Accused.

Camino Island: A Novel

Priceless F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts stolen in a daring heist; a young woman recruited to recover them, and a beach-resort bookseller who gets more than he bargained for - all in one long summer on Camino Island.

Barely Legal

Under the tutelage of Stone Barrington, Herbie Fisher has transformed from a bumbling sad sack into a capable man about town and the youngest partner at the white-shoe law firm Woodman & Weld. Now all of his training will be put to the test as he finds himself embroiled in his most daring adventure to date.

Crime Scene: A Novel

Eccentric, reclusive Walter Rennert lies cold at the bottom of his stairs. At first glance the scene looks straightforward: a once-respected psychology professor done in by booze and a bad heart. But his daughter, Tatiana, insists that her father has been murdered, and she persuades Clay Edison to take a closer look at the grim facts of Rennert's life. What emerges is a history of scandal and violence and an experiment gone horribly wrong that ended in the brutal murder of a coed.

The Black Echo: Harry Bosch Series, Book 1

For LAPD homicide cop Harry Bosch - hero, maverick, nighthawk - the body in the drainpipe at Mulholland Dam is more than another anonymous statistic. This one is personal. The dead man, Billy Meadows, was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" who fought side by side with him in a nightmare underground war that brought them to the depths of hell.

Publisher's Summary

A spiderweb of dangerous relationships is at the heart of this daring new novel from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author.

Kinsey on Kinsey: "I know there are people who believe you should forgive and forget. For the record, I'd like to say I'm a big fan of forgiveness as long as I'm given the opportunity to get even first."

A woman with a murky past who kills herself-or was it murder? A dying old man cared for by the son he pummeled mercilessly. A lovely woman whose life is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring racking up millions in stolen goods. A brutal and unscrupulous gangster. A wandering husband, rich and powerful. A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt thinking he can beat the system. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers that may be worse than the pain of his loss. An elegant but ruthless businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the spider at the center of the web.

And Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose.

V: Victim. Violence. Vengeance.

Don't miss the other titles in the Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mystery Series.

I have loved all of the past Kinsey Milhone mysteries, but I don't know what the deal is with this one. I've listened to it for well over an hour and I feel like the actual plot hasn't even started yet, but I'm on the fifth storyline already. And the storylines are dragged out and filled with boring, unnecessary details, and are seemingly unrelated. I suppose the whole point of the book is eventually she will bring them all together, but I don't have the time to listen to this any longer and be bored and hope it starts getting good so I'm giving up on it. This is one I wish I could get my money back on.

I believe Sue Grafton just gets better with time. Kinsey Millhone is an interesting character that never fails to hold my attention. A well conceived protagonist can feel like a long time friend and that's what Kinsey is to me. Judy Kaye also does a great job presenting the story. A very enjoyable and interest-holding read!

I listen to audio books to be entertained while I go about doing mundane chores like ironing and vacuuming. I get transported by fiction and the time goes by quickly. The better the book the easier my chores. I have the whole alphabet in this series and I have enjoyed all of them. This was just as entertaining as the first one and all the ones in between. I especially liked the ending.

Every other major novelist with a single protagonist seems to sort of peter out after 10 or 12 books, apparently losing their edge, running out of plot lines, or having said everything they had to say. But not Sue Grafton. Every book is great -- some I like a little bit better than others, for personal reasons, but every book is compelling and hard to put down. I'm crushed to recall there are only four to go -- but the good news is, I've aged even if Kinsey hasn't. I've already reread several of them, and they're just like new. (Pretty soon I'll need only one book.)

One thing about this particular tale made me giggle: Friends in the Santa Barbara/Montecito area note that Sue Grafton herself is quite a fixture in local high society. Very active and well respected. So as she was describing some of the wealthy female denizens of the "Santa Theresa" xray women, the ladies-who-lunch bunch, she was most probably describing a good many of the women in her own social circle. Made me laugh, wondering if they'd recognize themselves....

Whatever. It's a great book, wonderful fun and now probably a long wait until "W" appears.

I really enjoyed this book. Must be the best in the last 10 letters. Judy Kaye is easily the best narrater of this series. I hope Sue Grafton finds a way to keep giving us Kinsey Millhone mysteries after the alphabet comes to an end. Only four more letters to go. But no matter what the furture brings, I've had a great time reading these books.

Well this book was okay. And of course Kinsey is her usual goofy, gawky busybody self, and that is what this series is all about. So actually this book does what one expects. You get an easy read, a silly story line meant to entertain and this book does that job just a-okay. Kinda like eating a grilled cheese sandwich with the yellow cheese while drinking a Shirley Temple.

Kinsey Milhone always delivers, and Judy Kaye is a great narrator. However, this book has a more interesting, complex plot than usual, and the characters are deeper than in some other Grafton novels. This one's also fun because you get a chance to see Milhone through a gangster's eyes.

I look forward to the new books in this series, Sue Grafton is a great story teller. This is a book that draws you in and keeps you thinking. I love trying to figure out how the different people fit together. Definitely worth the credit and time!

This is a toss up. I read all the ABC books and since N they have gone downhill. Now I at the point where I want to be able to say I read all of them but, now that in question.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Dresden Files or a Death book by Dodd.

Have you listened to any of Judy Kaye???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I like her but it would be hard to listen to her as somebody other than Kinsey. I also have this problem with Scott Brick who I just love as a reader.

Was V Is for Vengeance worth the listening time?

It took over 4 hours to get a client. Too many story lines going on and how dumb does Kinsey look after reading this book. It one thing to make a mistake but to make one after another? Would you hire such a person.

Any additional comments?

The reviews posted to date on this site have been right on the mark. I don't know what happen with this one may-be I got a different version.